Coping with Psoriasis

Up to this date psoriasis still baffles many scientists. This skin condition which happens when the skin cells grow too rapidly. The result is skin cells piling up as the excess skin cells are not shed off.This causes lesions to form.

There are actually 5 types of psoriasis. These are plaque, guttate, pustular, inverse, and erythrodermic. The most common of them being the plaque psoriasis also referred to as psoriasis vulgaris. Roughly 80% of people suffering from this skin condition has this type. Plaque psoriasis is usually characterised by patches of thick skin that appears to be scaly having silvery or red colour. These thick patches can appear on any area of the skin but they most commonly develop on the elbows, knees, lower back and the scalp.

The Cause of Psoriasis

Psoriasis is very complex and up to this date scientists are still trying to figure out this skin condition. A combination of genes plus faulty signals from immune system play major roles in psoriasis. On top of this exposure to a trigger such as skin injury, having strep throat or a very stressful life event also plays a role in the development of psoriasis. However these triggers are not absolute. A trigger for one to develop psoriasis may not trigger another person to have it.

Discomfort of Psoriasis

Although psoriasis is generally not life threatening it can bring a lot of discomfort. During episodes of flare-ups, someone with psoriasis can experience severe itching as well as pain. The skin also can crack and bleed which can be very painful. Since not many people understand psoriasis, people avoid or stare unkindly at people suffering from this skin condition. Usually people with psoriasis are embarrassed of their situation. And they feel more alienated because of the fact that some people avoid them thinking that they would catch it by being near or by touching someone who has it. Psoriasis is not contagious! You can not get it by simply sharing the same room or touching someone with psoriasis.

Living with Psoriasis

Psoriasis can flare up, subside or even go away for a time but would eventually flare up again and the cycle continues. Here are a few skin care tips to keep in mind when you have psoriasis.

Keep Your Skin Moisturised – When you have psoriasis, you need to keep your skin moisturised to avoid flare-ups which can cause severe itching, cracking and bleeding of the skin. An excellent pick in skin moisturizers is the Argan oil. Argan oil is packed with nutrients having moisturizing properties such as Vitamin E, essential fatty acids and sterols.